2024 Training has Started

The training for the 2024 season has already started. Our new apprentice class has already had their first two sessions but there is still time to get in on the action if you fill out our application ASAP.

For our returning umpires, the training schedule can be found under the Members/Training menu item or by using the website Calendar. A little known trick when using the Calendar is you can use the search function to create a tier specific schedule for yourself. Just open the Calendar and type in your tier into the search box at the top. The magic words are Apprentice, C-Tier, B-Tier, A-Tier and T-Tier.

NBUA 2023 Awards and Promotions Banquet

Your fellow umpires and their guests enjoyed an evening at the Maplewood
Country Club on Saturday, September 16th . The staff and chefs at Maplewood did a
great job and the evening progressed smoothly.

The evening began with host Peyton Coffin, Member Services Chairman, welcoming our members, their guests, and the guests of NBUA.
Peyton introduced and thanked Chris VonJouanne — and his orchestra — for his talents and a whole lotta time in producing the audio/video presentation for an evening filled with well-chosen tunes.

He thanked Mark and Jody Clough, who tirelessly produced the program and provided the beautiful floral centerpieces and raffle gifts. Without their expertise, I’d be up here ‘way too long.

The evening’s keynote speaker, Tim Stevens, long-time NBUA member, Washington State NFHS rules interpreter and inductee in the WOA Hall of Fame was introduced.

We then welcomed NBUA president Hank Margeson, who officially and warmly welcomed all and introduced the NBUA Board members. He then turned the program over to the evening’s Master of Ceremonies, Mark Clough.

Mark welcomed Tim Stevens, Tom Krause, President of PSSBL and Joe Townsend of PSSBL. Bookie Gates, founder of Baseball Beyond Borders was with us, as were Derek Bingham and Wil Snyder (and daughter Harper) of Seattle Elite Baseball. Mark also introduced Terry Howard, Commissioner of the Pacific International League.

Also with us, in honor of recently passed member Pete Perry, were Pete’s sister, Judy, and daughters Allison, with husband Adam, and Meaghan, with husband Matt.

Peyton stepped in to shepherd those assembled toward the buffet dinner while telling a true story about why it is not a good idea, when you are the visiting team and only one run up, in the bottom of the 9th , 2 outs, R2 & R3, to intentionally walk a batter to load the bases when the on-deck batter is Joe Townsend.

Dinner was served! Raffles of gifts for our guests were held throughout the evening.

Mentor/Mentee coordinator and co-chair of recruiting Corky Trewin gave a presentation of the 6-umpire officiating crew he organized for the championship game of the Commissioner’s Cup at Husky Stadium. He showed some great pictures! The Commissioner’s Cup was sponsored by MLB in conjunction with the All-Star game and featured young players from across the country who participated in Bookie Gates’ Baseball Beyond Borders.

Mark led us through a tribute to Pete Perry, with many pictures of Pete, and again thanked his family for joining us.

Peyton announced the High School Varsity Coach of the Year, as voted by our members: Ray Atkinson of Lincoln High School. Unfortunately, Ray was in Idaho helping family and could not attend. The award will be presented at a school assembly.

Tom Krause, PSSBL President, introduced the prestigious Pete Perry PSSBL Umpire of the Year Award, named after Pete Perry in recognition of his service to Little League, the Snohomish umpire association and to NBUA. Tom presented the award to Fritz Timm.

Brian Sweet, Director of Training, presented WOA Meritorious Service pins to those umpires who were present. Not present and want your pin? Email: nbuamemberserve@gmail.com and we’ll get it to you at our general meeting in January.
5 Year Pins: Kerry Clark, Jeff Evenson, Steve Mueller, Dave Richardson, and JC Cowan
10 Year Pins: Jeff Borgida, Rick Park, Corky Trewin
15 Year Pins: Son Jim and father Dick Harrigill
20 Year Pin: Tony Gonzalez

Many of our umpires worked Washington State Regional and Championship games. Hank and Greg Olmstead then presented State Playoff pins to those present, and the State Championship pins to Dale Wilson (1B, 2B) and Bill Fitzgerald (3A, 4A)

Henry VonJouanne stepped up to present the George Eshleman Umpire of the Year Award for Service, Integrity and being a Valued Partner on the Field. Goerge Eshleman had a lengthy career with NBUA, serving in every position on the board and guiding NBUA to the highest-standard and most-respected umpire association. This award was rightfully earned by long-serving NBUA President Hank Margeson for his outstanding leadership over many, many years.

The NBUA Golf Tournament trophies were presented with the winning 4-some again featuring the Borgida son-and-father team of Jeff and Dan, along with brother Jason and friend Keaton Cox. Dan Obrien was closest to the pin on hole #6 and Jason Borgida had a 3” leave on #14. Longest drives: Hole #7 was Jeff B. with JR Calderwood taking the honors on hole #15.

It was now time to present the 2023 Assignor Awards, presented by our NBUA assignor, Mark Clough. These are awarded to umpires who are “any game, anywhere” and have minimal turnbacks. They are hallmarks of dedication to our craft and our association.
C Tier: Mario Padilla
B Tier: Loren Ryan
A Tier: Corky Trewin
T Tier: Tim Stevens

Brian Rooney stepped up to acknowledge an umpire who emotes energy and friendliness and seems to be everywhere with great ideas and thorough follow through. The 2023 Unsung Hero Award was presented to Corky Trewin.

Hank again took the stage to acknowledge the 2023 Jack Miller NBUA Customer of the Year. Jack Miller was NBUA’s assignor for many years and fostered our rapport with so many of our long-time customers. He was the consummate go-between for customers and umpires. For tirelessly creating, managing, and supporting Everett Merchants Baseball over some 4 decades and positively influencing countless young men, Harold Pyatte was so honored. The award was accepted by Terry Howard, Commissioner, PIL.

The Leslie Fitzpatrick Rookie of the Year Award is very prestigious. Named after our long-time, beloved assignor, it recognizes an “Outstanding Umpire of the Present and the Future.” Brian Rooney, Recruiting and Retention Chairman, stepped up and awarded it to: Steve Lampkin. Steve set an example as a first-year umpire striving to improve in every game and always supporting his partners. Thank you, Steve!

Mark introduced Tim Stevens and invited him to give our keynote address. Tim discussed why we do what we do and what motivates us. One of the main reasons is due to the partners we work with. That obligation somehow becomes almost familial, and these relationships are self- supporting and trustful. Tim received a warm thank you for his thoughts.

Promotions:
One of the highlights of our banquet is the announcing of promotions and at this point, Greg Olmstead, Evaluations Director, stepped up and did so.

Promoted to C Tier: Jay Clark, Jeff Wilson, Matt Baskett, Max Gross, Darren Smith, Greg
Rivera, Steve Kehrli, Paul Long, John Fitzgerald, Steve Lampkin, Tim Janeke, Jim Newstrom and Dan O’Brien
Promoted to B Tier: Bryan McNair, Mario Padilla, Patrick O’Rourke, John Fahey, Cameron Ballarino, Brandon Pye, Greg Morrison and Nick Gallagher who worked 165 games!
Promoted to A Tier: Dave Jaffe, Mike Leitner and Greg Morrison, who worked 133 Games!
Promoted to Tournament Tier: Chris Castro, Mike Opprecht and Fritz Timm, the 1st NBUA 200-game umpire (in 2009)

The Brian Gooch Distinguished Service Award is named for Brian Gooch, who served in all board positions for many years and was known for his attention to and support of every umpire. Brian retired in 2012 and this award was named after him “For outstanding service to one’s fellow umpires and our association”. Terry Granillo introduced the award and presented it to an umpire who has supported all of us over the years and worked more games than any other since 2005: Peyton Coffin.

Mark meandered in with gracious closing remarks and introduced Hank to make the closing toast.

President, Hank, thanked our guests and significant others that support us. They deserve our utmost thanks. Hank toasted the past season and said we were all looking forward to a great 2024 season! He wished us good luck and success.

2023 Annual Meeting Minutes

September 18th, 2023
Annual Meeting of the
Northwest Baseball Umpires Association
Board of Directors Election Results
WIAA Office – 6:00 PM

NBUA President Hank Margeson called the 2023 NBUA Annual Meeting to order at 6:05 PM
The results of the election were announced.
Total Members Voted:
63 of 130 eligible member voted (48.5%)
The results were presented by Hank Margeson. The following members were elected:

Board of Directors:
Terry Granillo
Brian Rooney
Dale Wilson
Thom Denholm


Member Liaison:
Reems Goodloe

Having no further business for the NBUA Annual Meeting,
it was adjourned at 6:10 PM.

2023 Questions from Membership for Board Election

  1. Board membership has remained largely unchanged for several years. What is your position on diversifying the board?

Terry Granillo – Pro! Who asked this? Run for the board next year!! We haven’t done a great job recruiting board candidates. We need to start the process early in the season to get people thinking about it early. We all work our butts off during the season just to cover games, and I can understand how taking on a board commitment on top of that can seem daunting. However this is a great organization, worthy of diligent stewardship by dedicated and committed members on the board of directors. I think taking a more intentional approach to identifying and opening an ongoing dialogue with potential candidates would be a good way to get to the point where we have some more choice in our candidates. Four candidates for four seats is not ideal.

Dale Wilson – Diversity is always the best option and with each board position a 2-year limit I believe this keeps it open for new members and diversity.

Brian Rooney – I am 100% in favor of diverse voices on the NBUA board. We all have different backgrounds and experiences that lend value to the association.

Thom Denholm – Membership of NBUA is not terribly diverse either, unfortunately. We should take some steps to encourage diversity in the membership first.

  1. Verbal abuse from fans, coaches, and players continues to be a hot topic. What steps would you take to address such behavior?

Terry Granillo – This is, has been, and remains a training issue. It is also an ongoing point of emphasis with the WOA and WIAA. For players and coaches, we are the officials for the game. We need to focus and direct training on how to manage situations before they develop, as they develop, and after they’ve blown up despite our efforts. Training must be more focused on role playing in that regard. We already meet with Coaches and ADs annually to review rule changes, and we emphasize in those meetings the importance of and national emphasis on sportsmanship. We need to continue that. To emphasize to Head Coaches and Game Management (ADs) that they are ultimately responsible for policing the behavior of players, team personnel, and fans.

Dale Wilson – Over the last year we have been contacting Leage Leadership regarding any abuse or non-acceptable fan behavior. We have shared with the leaders of the leagues of issues and that reduction and canceling of service if violations continue. If elected I will continue to push this process.

Brian Rooney – We have addressed this topic with our clients and made them aware that we have a zero tolerance policy. During my time on the board, we have ended relationships with teams due to unacceptable behavior by fans and coaches.

Thom Denholm – Document abuses and then work with the individual leagues when they exceed a threshold, whether of repetition or of severity. Encourage our umpires to utilize the incident reports to that end. Remember, a lot of our games are recorded, officially and by fans. These can absolutely be used in our favor!

  1. What would you think about treating Little League Umpires applying to the NBUA as transfers rather than simple apprentices? We know that most LL umpires are just dads with very little training but, recently, we have received applications from Little League umpires who have a great deal of training and experience, and it makes little sense to disregard that when we are in such desperate need of higher tier umpires.

Terry Granillo – We do consider such experience, on a case-by-case basis. Because so many LL umpires come in with something less than national tournament experience, and because not all national tournament experience in LL really prepares umpires for games with NBUA, we cannot treat LL umpires as transfers. NBUA has already in many cases considered such experience for active members in terms of promotion. All apprentices are evaluated in their first year, and exceptional umpires are recognized, as warranted, with tier-skipping promotion. LL experience, along with all experience, does come into consideration in that process. The Little League model is so unique, in particular the 12U model, that we cannot treat new umpires coming out of LL the same as HS Varsity or College umpires transferring from another location.

Dale Wilson – I think this is a good idea and something that can be shared with the training and evaluation chair. I do believe that NBUA has the best training, and we don’t want any of our umpires to miss that opportunity.

Brian Rooney – As the Director of Recruiting for the Association, I am torn by this question. I came from Little League and joined as an apprentice and was so glad that I did. Because while I thought that I had all the answers, I soon found out how much I didn’t know. And I know I am not alone. Our training is too valuable to be put aside and believe that all of our new members regardless of past experience should begin as an apprentice. If there are extenuating circumstances then those should be addressed by our Eval committee.

Thom Denholm – Anyone who has umpired baseball before should be evaluated as a potential transfer. Unless they worked varsity or other high-level baseball in their previous location, this will probably mean the difference between “apprentice” and “C”. We should also document our tier system clearly so incoming umpires can understand what it means.

  1. Will you commit to looking into replacing WisleyPay with Direct Deposit or another payment app that offers more significant fraud protection? 

Terry Granillo – Yes. There’s a significant cost/benefit advantage to ADP/Wisely, as it’s free to NBUA and members (when used as recommended). Direct Deposit is an add-on banking feature, and banking at Bank of America means that’s going to be a significant additional cost. There is ArbiterPay, which has a lot of advantages, and I will be assessing the costs and benefits of such a switch.

Dale Wilson – I am always wanting to find the best option with regards to payment to our umpires. I know I have not had any issues with the app or the security.

Brian Rooney – I believe that we should always be looking for new ways to improve the association. If there is a payment app that would address issues in a more productive way than yes, we should look at it.

Thom Denholm – The fact that this question has been raised is probably sufficient to bring it before the board. I have minimal experience with WiselyPay and comparative fraud protection. If Wisely is tied closely to Arbiter, this may be a difficult task.

  1. Short Term Cash Flow issues have again cropped up.  What will you do as a board member to ensure that we no longer get in a cash flow crunch again?

Terry Granillo – Several things. First, adjust the distribution of payments from our largest customer to more closely align with the distribution of work. Second, renegotiate timing and terms with other customers to ensure we have the funds for games completed well in advance of the date we pay 70% out to umpires each month. Third, recruit. More members available to work big weekends solves this problem.

Dale Wilson – This will be one of my key topics if elected to the board. We have made good progress with our cash flow from where we were, but the last month has proven we have more work to do with regards to budgeting and planning.

Brian Rooney – We should work with our main customer to make sure that payment is made in a timely manner that aligns with when we pay our umpires. Also, it is the responsibility of our association to continue to recruit more umpires so that we don’t have the need for outside umpires to come to our aid during tournament weekends.

Thom Denholm – While I understand the desire to fill positions, I do not believe single game bonuses are a good idea. The board needs to work with the assignor to have a documented policy that rewards umpires for working on very busy weekends – the higher weekend rate is a sample of this. Beyond this, I believe we have policies in place to handle late paying leagues and the like. It sounds like you are suggesting a review of these procedures is in order.

  1. We are way too short of umpires to perform the number of games we have without a significant drop in the quality of the game we provide our umpires.  Will you commit to decreasing our game assignment numbers till we can build back up our umpire numbers?  Will you commit to no one-man game assignments?  Which customers will you be willing to prioritize for games coverage?

Terry Granillo – This is an annual discussion, and yes, I will commit to doing what I can to balance our game counts with our available umpire numbers. I cannot commit to no 1-Umpire games, as we have school customers who only book 1-Umpire games. I can however, commit to continue to advocate for allowing 1-Umpire games on an exception basis, and not as a regular practice. I will not name customers in this context.

Dale Wilson – The shortage of officials is tough for not only the umpires but our youth athletes. I want to make sure we can balance both as it is so important that the youth are able to play sports. I know that if umpires direct the assignor with key restrictions such as no more than two games a day or no one man game he has insured that these requests are met.

Brian Rooney – The shortage of umpires is tough not only on us but also for the players. However I will not commit to decreasing our game assignments at this time. For example, if an umpire wants to work only two games a day or does not want to work one man games than all he needs to do is let our assignor know. If an umpire wants to work more than two games a day or work solo than it is not up to me to prevent that

Thom Denholm – I am a strong believer in customer service, and for most games, this means two umpires. However, when I joined NBUA 30 years ago, all JV was one-man. I believe for younger leagues (e.g. 12u) and non-competitive games (Freshman, C tier and Junior High), one umpire is sufficient. A minimum of two umpires should be mandatory for Varsity baseball. I would like to understand how the schools are charged for single umpire games and how the WOA pay factors in. I believe we should also increase the pay rate for a single umpire game. Finally, we must somehow factor illness and injuries into our assignment calendar.

  1. NBUA has some senior umpires who look complacent on the field and have become so “relaxed” or thinking they do not have to exhibit proper and expected engagement that it does not reflect the supposed high standard of NBUA’s customer service. This does not set a good example to newer umpires and encourages emulation of a too-casual attitude and body language that appears they are officiating from a self-centered standpoint. If you agree with this assessment, how will you address it?

Terry Granillo – I have not witnessed this behavior personally, so I can’t confirm the assessment. In terms of senior umpires, I presume you mean long-standing A- or T- tier officials. My commitment, as ever, is to be honest and receptive in giving and expecting feedback. I have seen guys have off-days, and wind up chasing plays, running through tags or catches, etc, and I tell them about it. I’ve had those days. At those levels we are pretty self-policing, and we depend on the frank and honest feedback we get post-game to ensure we’re keeping our games sharp. As an administrator for the association, we as board members must always take this sort of feedback on members seriously, which we do. Ejection reports, notes from coaches or parents, etc. are assessed for validity and need-for-action in terms of training, evaluation, or occasional disciplinary action.

Dale Wilson – Sorry but I can’t speak to this statement as I have not worked or seen what this question is describing.

Brian Rooney – I cannot speak to this statement as I have not witnessed any such behavior.

Thom Denholm – This can be a fine line to adjudicate, especially for inexperienced umpires. Is the game more casual in nature, or is a crisp professional demeanor the best? We work far more of the latter type of game. This should be taught in training (all tiers). I think there would be value in approaching the leagues and stating we have a “point of emphasis” this year on a more professional demeanor. On the flip side, senior officials should be prepared to observe umpires who have received complaints.

  1. There are some umpires who attend no training (though given credit for outside training) and therefore have lost engagement with the Association. None of the newer umpires know who they are and never see some senior umpires they can learn from. They then want to come in mid-season and cherry-pick games and tournaments that more NBUA-dedicated umpires are perfectly capable of officiating. This causes some resentment among some umpires who work all season-long with and for NBUA. Do you agree? If so, what will you do to address this?

Terry Granillo – I understand this sentiment completely, as I felt the same way when I was coming up in the association. We all want the big games. The umpires you refer to spend their Winter and Spring working college schedules. Many umpires cannot work high school ball due to work restrictions and the fact school games typically start at 4pm. This is the case for those few Tournament Tier umpires who show up out of the blue in June and start getting assigned to high level PIL and 18U games. I won’t say they cherry-pick, as they do get assigned to lower age groups too. I agree the high-level assignments can cause resentment. I don’t agree it needs to be addressed any more than it already is managed. I want our best available umpires on our highest level games. In our 3-umpire games, we can, and do, give opportunities to developing B and A tier umpires with experienced partners.

Dale Wilson – I know that Camps and Pro School can apply towards the yearly training. Not sure if that is what the question is asking. Not meeting the training by level would result in not being eligible for promotion.

Brian Rooney – It has long been an NBUA policy that any sanctioned outside training can go towards the umpire’s training hours for that year. Per NBUA policy, the board should direct the assigner to assign the appropriate tiered umpires to each respective game.

Thom Denholm – With COVID, we reduced in-person training, and this is a direct casualty. We should encourage a few all-tier training sessions per year, with a directly focused topic and a healthy break to mingle. Perhaps we could have an incentive for tournament tier officials talking with C tier and below. As far as “cherry- picking”, this is a discussion to have with the assignor.

2023 Combined Candidate Statements

For a position on the NBUA Board of Directors (4 positions available)

Thom Denholm
Thom Denholm

Fellow Umpires,

I joined NBUA in 1993, and have enjoyed working with our umpires over the years. I firmly believe that our organization brings excellence to baseball officiating in Washington, and intend to do my part to continue that legacy, both on and off the field.

As part of my day job, I serve as secretary of the board of directors for the SD association – a world-wide organization that establishes technical standards for SD card media. I have conducted technical training for people from many cultures, and believe some of those techniques can be applied to conflict resolution with coaches and players.

I have also served on the NBUA technical committee and have both provided materials and conducted training sessions for our members.

If elected, I would strive to improve training efficiency and work to increase our rate of pay for summer baseball, to keep pace with recent increases in high school pay rates.

I seek your vote, and am ready to respond to your candidate questions.


Terry Granillo

Fellow members of NBUA,

It’s been a wild ride, these past few seasons. We have weathered a season lost, seasons modified or shortened, and in 2023 a season starting to feel like old times. It’s been my privilege to serve on the Board of Directors, and as Treasurer for all of you.

I started with NBUA in 2007, when our numbers were well over 200 working officials. I’d love to get back there, and I’m committed to working with whomever you put on the board this year to get back there, whether I’m one of them or not. Coordinating with neighboring associations, engaging more with local high schools and colleges, and using targeted social media, while not new ideas by any stretch, are among many approaches we can use to increase the visibility and interest among ‘baseball people’ out there in taking up our avocation.

The treasurer role has been a learning experience. In particular as it came in parallel with a change in our assignor. Especially in particular when our new assignor was for many years prior our treasurer! That transition has taken a lot of work, training, and coordination. Endless thanks to Mark Clough for the support and guidance he’s given, even as he’s slammed with his assigning responsibilities.

I’m committed to continuing that work. To building documented systems and controls so that we avoid as many of the hiccups we experience from time to time as possible. I worked in financial accounting management as a CFO for most of my 35 years as a CPA. And having stepped into retirement from that work, I’m eager to continue putting my knowledge and experience to work for us.

I would appreciate your vote. Thank you for your consideration.


Brian Rooney
Brian Rooney

It has been an honor to have been on the NBUA board for the past six years. During that time, I have actively contributed my time and energy as the Chair of the Recruiting and Retention committee. In addition, I have also been a member of the Evaluation and Training staffs. 

As the R&R Chair, we have streamlined our efforts and are actively pursuing leads that come our way. I have either emailed or spoken with everyone that has come to the recruiting committee’s attention and stay in touch with them throughout the process. These future members of NBUA are coming through a variety of sources whether it is Facebook, LinkedIn, WIAA, and our own website. However, the biggest recruiting tool we have is you, our members. I have greatly enjoyed being the conduit for those that you introduce to NBUA.

It is an honor to wear the NBUA hat and represent the best Umpire’s Association in the state. Our principles of customer service, teamwork and excellence guide me as a member of the Board and an umpire on the field. I ask for your support and vote for the NBUA Board of Directors.


Dale Wilson

I am Dale Wilson and I started with NBUA in 2016. I was elected to the board in 2020, my years on the board have been extremely rewarding and it has been an honor serving the member these last 3 years.

As a member of the NBUA board I have been the Chair of Member Services & Communication in 2020 and then was voted to be on the Executive Committee as the Secretary. I am currently part of the Member Services & Communication and Evaluations Committee.

My goal when I started on the board was to focus on looking forward and how we can get better as a board and an organization. I believe that I have helped to take steps in that direction with better and open communication with our members. I will continue to bring innovative ideas and being the voice of our members to the board and executive committee.

If reelected, I will continue to work on what members share as potential issues, help to build the member base and to have our members best interest with changes that affects officials on and off the field.

Thank you to all the NBUA members for building a best in class umpiring organization. The desire for each of you to get better in every game is what makes this a great organization.

Thank You


For the position of Member Liaison

Reams Goodloe
Reams Goodloe

As the current Member Liaison, I have assisted members in bringing a number of items to the attention of various members of the board, and I have provided additional input on behalf of members where direct input to board members has already been started by members. And, I have assisted members in protecting their interests before the Board of Directors. Which this experience, I would be honored to continue to provide such services to NBUA members.

Importantly, as the Member Liaison, I have been able to bring many items to the attention of appropriate Board Members, and on occasion to the Assignor, to express the members’ view of difficult situations or seemingly unfair situations, or to give voice to the frustration that various members have experienced with certain events, policies, or disciplinary procedures. And, when you have asked, such issues have been effectively raised on an anonymous basis – a procedure which is protected by the NBUA procedures.

Through my experience as a member since 2004, I know the bumps in the road that can be experienced while working your way up through the association, and thus I fully understand many of the frustrating situations that members sometimes encounter. Thus, I am able to effectively advocate on your behalf with individual board members, or before the Board as a whole, for explanations, adjustments, and changes which members believe appropriate, given a particular policy or individual situation.

In this era of a shortage of umpires compared to the number of games and officiating positions to be filled, I still hear from members with difficult issues. If reelected, I will continue to work in the Member Liaison role to enhance the visibility of your problems, to assure increased consideration and scrutiny of policies and issues which need the attention of individual board members or the full Board of Directors. I would appreciate the opportunity to continue to serve all members of NBUA in the Member Liaison role.

2023 NBUA Schedule

NBUA 2023 TOURNAMENTS and SEASONS

Late April               High School District Playoffs Begin
May 7                     Opening Day 15u-16u
May 11-14             Seattle Elite Wood Bat Invitational
May 20                    High School Regional Playoffs begin
May 21                   Opening Day 18u
May 25-29             Art Wright Memorial Day Tournament
May 27                    High School Playoff Finals
June 1- July 31      PIL League 
June 7                    Seattle Premier Invitational Tournament
June 21-26            Josh Dickerson Memorial Tournament
June 29-July 3      Lee Johnson Firecracker Tournament
July 5-17                Brandy Pugh
May-Oct                PSSBL
July 5-12               14u 14u Elite League Playoffs
July 12-16             Baden NW Club Championships
July 18-25             15u Elite League Playoffs
July 19-26             16u Elite League Playoffs
July 26-31             18u Elite League Playoffs
Sept 15- Oct 31  Seattle Elite Fall Ball

Yes, we are going to try to cover all of this with NBUA umpires. The tournament weekends will be particularly challenging so plan your vacations accordingly.

RTO returns

NBUA

Every year about this time, I am directed by your Board of Directors, to reintroduce the RTO Program driven by the Washington Officials Association (WOA). I’m asking the following of every NBUA member, regardless of tier. All tiers are asked to participate in RTO.

The RTO Program

The RTO Program is a collaborative effort of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association and the Washington Officials Association to improve the level of officiating for WIAA contests. RTO stands for Retention, Training and Observation. There is one other component of this program not listed in the RTO acronym. That component is standards. Before you can hold someone accountable you must clearly state what they are being held accountable for. To that end, the WOA is developing standards of conduct and performance for our members in each sport covered by the WOA. These standards are the yardstick by which every official will be measured.

  • Go into the Central Hub (again)
  • Click on the Eligibility Center
  • Click on RTO 2023
  • Complete the 2 clinics listed
  • I did this. It took about 7 minutes.
  • Pretty simple…
  • Every tier is asked to get this done by your BOD
  • B, A and TT umpires are required by the WOA to become RTO’d, in order to become eligible to assigned:
    • Post Season District contests
    • Regionals
    • State Finals
    • District contests begin in early May
  • Rookie & Transfer Members, please contact your Mentors for additional assistance. Your Mentors have all done this before.
  • Please have your RTO requirements completed by May 1.
  • As your Assignor, I can track this ongoing.

Thanks

Mark Clough

NBUA Assignor

2023 Training Videos Available

All of our classroom sessions are being recorded these days and the videos are all available on the Training Schedule page accessed via the Members/Training menu. The members password is required to access this page.

In the table that lists the training events, the column on the right hand side labeled “Links” will be populated with the video link as the sessions are held. At this time, no training credit is given for viewing these classes after the fact, but they can be used to catch-up or review.

Apprentice and C-Tier umpires are welcomed to watch classes held for the higher tiers just to inform themselves of the subjects being discussed. Upper tier umpires might be interested to view classes for the lower tiers to answer the question, “what the heck are they teaching these guys?”

Your Humble Webmaster

2023 Training Schedule

The 2023 training schedule has been posted (or, at least, part of it has). The training schedule is a work in progress and we have published as much as we know at this point. To keep up to date, visit this site often.

The schedule is published in two formats. The first is found in the Members section under Training and it requires the viewer to enter the members password to view. As the sessions are often on-line these days, we record the sessions and post the links on this page so that anyone interested, can catch up. These links are for informational purposes only and no credit will be given for watching these sessions after the fact.

The second format is via the NBUA Calendar found under the Information menu. The next five elements of the calendar will also appear on the sidebar of each page of the website. When opening the calendar, it will display as a simple list. If you like a more calendar-like display, simply select the “Month” icon on the page. You can use the search function on the page to select events of interest. You could display only training events by searching for the word “Training”. You could display only the training schedule for the C-Tier by typing “C-Tier” into the calendar search box.

If you select individual events on the calendar, more information will be displayed about that particular session including maps and attachments (if any).

And let the season begin!